River partnership shortlisted for environment award

Dr Susan Cooksley, manager of the Dee Catchment Partnership

“We’re delighted to be a finalist. Our partnership exists to promote, facilitate and deliver collaborative projects that conserve the unique biodiversity and natural beauty of Deeside, and the restoration at Easter Beltie is doing exactly that creating a new area of wild beauty that has created habitat for a rich diversity of wildlife”

The partnership tasked with looking after the river Dee catchment in north east Scotland is a finalist in the Inspiring Aberdeenshire Awards. Shortlisted for the Beautiful Aberdeenshire Environmental Award, the Dee Catchment Partnership’s recent Easter Beltie burn restoration project near Torphins was recognised for ‘helping to nurture and enhance the region’s natural beauty though environmental initiatives.’

The Dee Catchment Partnership aims to support those with responsibilities for water management, quality and restoring habitat in the area. The organisation includes many partners including the James Hutton Institute, Aberdeen City Council and Scottish Natural Heritage.

Dr Susan Cooksley, manager of the Dee Catchment Partnership and a scientist at the James Hutton Institute, led the three-month long Beltie burn restoration project with River Operations Manager for the Dee District Salmon Fishery Board, Edwin Third. She said: “We’re delighted to be a finalist. Our partnership exists to promote, facilitate and deliver collaborative projects that conserve the unique biodiversity and natural beauty of Deeside, and the restoration at Easter Beltie is doing exactly that creating a new area of wild beauty that has created habitat for a rich diversity of wildlife.”

“Funded by NatureScot’s Biodiversity Challenge Fund, the restoration of the Beltie has been a huge success – we were absolutely delighted to see salmon spawning before the last of the diggers had even left the site,” adds Edwin Third.

“The water from the previously straightened channel now flows though three specially created wetland pools, and onwards downstream through a gently meandering course. The site is already home to kingfisher, dipper, heron, badger and otter.”

Now in their ninth year, the Inspiring Aberdeenshire awards recognise unsung community heroes of Aberdeenshire, from cultural heroes to green champions. For 2021, a new Covid-19 category seeks to recognise the best of the community effort in response to the pandemic.

Provost of Aberdeenshire, Cllr Bill Howatson said: “It is tremendous to see Inspiring Aberdeenshire coming back this year. I strongly believe that now, more than ever, it is essential for us to show how much we appreciate the role people play in communities across Aberdeenshire. These awards offer us a platform to finding our unsung heroes – the people who have been working tirelessly for years but do not get the praise they deserve.”

The awards will be handed out at a virtual live-streamed ceremony in August.

Notes to editors:

Established in 2003, the Dee Catchment Partnership represents and supports those with responsibilities for water management in the common aim of restoring habitat and water quality in the River Dee catchment. The organisation has secured funding for significant restoration work, such as a three-year invasive plants control programme, ten years of outreach and education, and the recent restoration on the Easter Beltie Burn. EU programmes have funded significant programmes of improvement, investing over £10 million in Deeside restoration projects since 2003.

The Dee Catchment Partnership is made up of representatives from Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, River Dee Trust and Dee District Salmon Fishery Board, NatureScot, Cairngorms National Park Authority, Scottish Forestry, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, James Hutton Institute and Aberdeen Harbour Board.